Lid-fastener for sheet-metal caskets.



No. 800,929. PATENTED OCT. 3, 1905.

J. MAXWELL.

LID FASTENBR FOR SHEET METAL GASKETS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.14, 1905.

WITNESSES" JNVZ'INTUR' UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

LID-FASTENER FOR SHEET-METAL GASKETS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905.

Application filed January 14:, 1905. Serial No. 241,154.

1'0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN MAXWELL, of Oneida, in the county of Madison, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Lid-Fasteners for Sheet-Metal Caskets, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a full, clear,and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in fasteners for sheet-metal caskets of the class set forth in my Patent No. 759,727, issued May 10, 1904, in which a hinge-section was permanently secured to the side of the casket by rivets and another section hinged thereto to swing from a position above the lid of the a casket, the free end of the latter hinge-section being provided with a pivoted cam, which engages the top of the casket-lid when in operative position. I have discovered that the arrangement of the cams to engage the top of the lid is objectionable and more or less liable to catch into obstructions while the casket is being handled, thereby making the securement of the lid more or less insecure. 1 have also found that it is objectionable to tap or perforate the sides of the casket for the reception of rivets, because the apertures are more or less liable to permit the entrance of moisture into the casket.

The object of my present invention is to locate the cams of the clamping devices beneath the overhanging ledge which surrounds the marginal 'upper edges of the casket proper and to which the lid is clamped, thereby impinging the packing or seal between the ledge and lid and preventing undue strain upon the grooved ledge, which receives the packing.

Another object is to pivot one of the clamping-sections to the lid directly over the grooved ledge of the casket so that the inner end of the perforation through which the pivot passes is closed by the packing when the lid is secured in operative position to prevent any leakage through the perforation.

Other objects and uses will appear in the following description.

In the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are respectively top plan and side elevation of my improved clamping device and portions of a metal-casket and its lid as clamped together by said device, the upper section of the clamping device being shown by dotted lines as swung to a position at right angles with its clamping position shown in full lines, and the dotted lines in Fig. 2 showing the cam-lever as rocked downwardly to loosen the clamp preparatory to swinging the upper part to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. l for removing the lid. Figs. 3 and t are sectional views taken, respectively, on lines 3 3, Fig. 1, and 4: 4, Fig. 2, the clamping device being shown in its operative position in Fig. 3 and as released in Fig. 4:.

A and B represent, respectively, portions of one side and the top or lid of a metal-casket, the side A having its upper edge bent out wardly or laterally to form a ledge a and a groove (0. Seated in the base of this groove is a metal strip 1, and upon this strip is seated a rubber or equivalent packing 2, which protrudes some distance above the groove (0, in which it is seated.

The lid B is provided at its outer edge with a downturned flange b, which fits loosely upon the outer face of the ledge a, so as to cover and conceal the groove (0' and packing 2.

The portion of the lid B directly above the packing is perforated and receives a pivotal pin 3, and to this pivotal pin is hingedahorizontally-swinging metal plate 4:, having adepending ear 5 at one side of the pivot 3. The horizontal plate 4 and its depending ear 5 constitute what may be termed the upper hinge-section of the clamp, and the distance between the center of the pivotal pin 3 and adjacent vertical edge of the ear 5 is equal to or slightly greater than the shortest distance between the center of the pivot 3 and outer face of the depending flange b to permit the plate 4 to be rocked upon its pivot through an v are of substantially ninety degrees, or from the position shown in full lines in Figs. 1 and 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4:. The ear 5 is therefore disposed in a vertical plane at substantially right angles to the horizontal swinging plane of the plate 4 and in end view appears as an angle-plate. This vertical portion 5 extends downwardly some distance below the ledge 60, and therefore below the lower edge of the flange Z), and to its lower end is pivoted at 6 a cam-lever 7, having an eccentric face 8 around the pivot 6. This lever is pivoted to the inner face of the depending portion or ear 5, so that when the plate 4 is swung to the position seen in Fig. 3, with the inner face of the depending ear 5 bearing against the outer face of the flange b of the lid, the whole cam-lever 7 lies directly underneath the ledge a, and the distance between the center of the pivot 6 and highest point of the cam-face 8 is slightly greater than the vertical distance between the center of the pivot 6 and lower face of the ledge a. It therefore follows that when the clamping device as a whole is rocked on the pivot 3, with the cam-lever 7 down in the position seen in Fig. 4, the upper face of the cam. is brought under the ledge a, so that when the cam-lever 7 is rocked upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 3 the point of the camface 8 engages the lower face of the ledge 60, and thereby draws the ledge and overlying part of thelid Btoward each other and against the interposing packing 2, which is of course more or less yielding and affords a positive seal to prevent the entrance of moisture into the casket.

The simplicity of the clamping device just described is apparent, as it comprises only two sections, one of which is pivoted to the top of the lid and is substantially fiat, while the other is pivoted to the depending ear of the top section and when in operative position is wholly below and in close proximity to the ledge a, which protects the clamping member 7 from accidental displacement.

It will be observed that the upper plate swings on a vertical axis, while the clamping lever'l'swings upon a horizontal axis, and that when the clamps are rocked to their inoperative positions, as seen in Fig. 4, the cam-levers lie in a plane wholly outside of the ledges a, and therefore the lid may be readily lifted and removed with the clamps thereon.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination with a casket having at its upper edge an outturned flange, a lid forthe casket, and means for securing the lid to the flange consisting of a horizontallyswinging plate pivoted to the lid and having an ear projecting downwardly at the outer edges of the lid and flange, and a cam-lever pivoted to the lower edge of the ear and engaging the under side of the flange, the depending ear to which the cam-lever is pivoted being located at one side of the pivot in the lid to allow the plate to be swung laterally sufflcient to bring the cam-lever out from under said flange.

2. In combination with a casket having an outwardly-projecting ledge, a lid fitting over said ledge, a clamping-section hinged to the lid and provided with a depending ear and a cam-lever hinged to said ear and movable with the upper clamping-section beneath the ledge, whereby the ledge and lid are drawn together.

3. A casket-body having a laterally-projecting ledge, a lid overhanging the ledge and a packing between the lid and ledge, in combination with a clamping device composed of two sections, one of which is hinged bya pivotal pin passing through the lid directly over the packing so that the packing covers the hole formed in the lid by the pivot-pin, said hinged section being provided with a depending ear and a cam-lever hinged to said ear and swinging with the upper member to and from a position under the ledge, said lever being operable to engage the under side of the ledge and thereby draw the lid. and ledge together to impinge the interposed packing between them.

4. A casket-body having a laterally-projecting ledge provided with a lengthwise groove,

' a packing seated in the groove, and a lid seated on the packing in combination with a clamping-section having a hinge-pin passed through the lid directly above the packing and provided with a depending ear, so that the packing covers the hinge-pin hole in the lid, said clamping-section being a cam-lever hinged to said ear and swinging with said hinge-section to and from a position under the ledge, said lever being movable vertically and engaging the under side of the ledge to draw the lid against the packing.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of January, 1905.

JOHN MAXWELL. l Vitnesses:

H. E. CHASE, HOWARD P. DENISON. 

